For a run-oriented offense, Ardmore’s passing game sure was deadly in the red zone on Friday.

The Tigers’ junior duo of Carter Swanson and Devin Reynolds accounted for three touchdowns in Ardmore’s scrimmage against Noble. With Ardmore making the transition to an under center version of the spread offense, the most encouraging signs on the offensive side of the ball were the two imposing perimeter targets the Tigers were able to trot out.

Reynolds (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) and Swanson (6-3, 175) each caught touchdowns via fade routes. Swanson added another TD over the middle on one of Ardmore’s final first-team offensive possessions.

First-year starting quarterback Jeff Surrell had nothing but good things to say about the ability of his receiving corps.

“I feel like I have all my trust in them,” Surrell said. “I threw some pretty bad balls and they just went and got ’em. That just shows that I can trust them ... to just throw it up and they’ll go ge it. They’ll put themselves in the position to catch the ball and get the six.”

Ardmore coach Douglas Wendel said the option offense had its positive moments. The Tigers’ fullbacks protected the ball well and a long rushing gain by junior running back D’Vron Roberts set up Swanson’s 1-yard TD reception, in which Swanson adjusted to an underthrown ball and pass interference to make a nifty diving grab.

“Overall, running the option as many plays as we did, which was over 10, I thought the motions were good, the decision making was good and protection of the ball was good, especially with the fullbacks,” Wendel said.

Defensively, the Tigers forced three turnovers to offset two giveaways on offense. The Ardmore defense took the ball away twice in Noble’s first 10 plays.

Surrell accounted for an interception at defensive back, and Junior linebackers Wendal Williamson and Jamarcus Mills each recovered a fumble.

Wendel particularly lauded Williamson’s play at outside linebacker, and was also pleased with the three-man defensive front’s performance.

“They maintained their gap pretty good on one of those plays going outside,” Wendel said of the defensive first team of ends Elijah Clay and Trey Baptiste, and nose tackle Darius Lawson. “I’d like to make a few more plays, but it was nice to see the defense get three turnovers.”

Surrell said defensively, the Tigers were just having fun.

“I felt like we just played wreckless today,” said Surrell, who. “Everybody was flying around. Everybody was feeling it. We just made plays.”

“It looked pretty good for the first time; we can only get better though. We’ve got a ways to go before we can play Ada.”